If you are beginning your search for a new home, one of the best things you can do to prepare for your new dwelling is to create a wishlist. These lists can help you realize what you want most out of your home, and help improve your decision, making sure you are happy with what you end up with.
Below you will find several questions you should ask yourself when coming up with a wishlist. We cover your home’s layout and advantages/disadvantages, your outdoor presence, and different amenities that you might require from your area. Are you a community-oriented person? We also cover what you should be looking out for when deciding on a new community to live in.
We have many new listings on our website for you to check out as well, so make sure to visit our Airdrie MLS listings page.
Without further ado, this is how to create a homebuyer’s wishlist!
How To Create a Homebuyer’s Wishlist – Current Home Benefits and Disadvantages
Some people love their current home and want to bring certain things over to their new property, while others want to rid themselves of other aspects that have made life harder or inconvenient for them.
The first thing you should do when searching for a new property is to figure out what your current home does best and what it can improve on. Let’s go over a few aspects you should be thinking about.
Do you like the current layout and style of your home?
Your home’s style is one of the first places you should start when deciding what you want out of your new property. Do you want a bungalow, A-frame, or contemporary style home? Why do you want this style? Will they complement your lifestyle? These are all things you should ask yourself.
Contemporary: modern architecture has evolved over time and has led to a rise in Victorian, cottage, and Mediterranean style homes being built all over the country. These types of homes are typically more unique and have a certain flair that some homeowners love.
Bungalow: bungalows are one-level homes that can fit certain people’s lifestyles more than others. These homes have less space than a multi-story, but not everyone needs that much space. Bungalows can be extra cozy for the right homebuyer. Make sure to think about how much space you truly need, so you aren’t losing money over square-footage that you aren’t even using.
A-frame: these homes have a sloping roof that takes the form of the letter A (hence the name). These can be multi-level homes with lots of space and include everything a budding family will need in terms of bedrooms and bathrooms typically.
Colonial: these homes are very traditional in terms of layout and fixtures. They tend to have one or more fireplaces. The living room, kitchen, and dining rooms are on the first level with the bedrooms on the second floor. They also take on a square symmetrical shape and have lots of windows.
What features of your home do you like or dislike the most?
Do you like your home’s features? Such as the finishing, lighting fixtures, fireplace/s, eat-in kitchen, or an en suite master bathroom?
It’s important to note all of the features you love the most in your home and decide if these should be included in your new property. Have you grown accustomed to these features and wouldn’t want to live without them? What do you dislike the most? Make sure to include all of the features in your wishlist.
Home Features:
- Flooring: hardwood, tile, carpet
- Lighting fixtures
- Countertops: synthetic, granite, ceramic, marble, stone, laminate, wood
- Fireplace/s
- Walk-in closet
- Kitchen appliances: colored, carpentry match, stainless steel, freestanding, built-in
- Central air conditioning
- En suite master bathroom
- Wine cellars
Outdoor Spaces
Some people love spending time in their front and back yards. Some people love a large green lawn, flower gardens, and trees to take care of… While others may find this to be a burden on their already busy schedule.
It’s great to dream about having a luscious garden to compliment your outdoor setting, but are you ready to take care of it? Some homeowners don’t realize the amount of extra work they are taking on by acquiring a home with a large yard and garden setting.
What if you are able to take care of it. How does the yard pan out in your mind, will it fit the features you are looking for, or will you not have enough room? Some homebuyers can get so infatuated with a home before truly going over their front and back yard spaces.
Do you want to have fires with friends? Can the yard accommodate this? Do you love having backyard barbeques in the summer?
Front & Backyard Features:
- Firepit: is there a fire pit to hang around with friends and family
- BBQ space: is there enough room to have a family BBQ
- Fence: height of the fence and is it completed
- Seating areas/chill space: is there an area to sit down and hang out in?
- Garden: the amount of space for flowers and other plant life
- Maintenance: does it require lots of maintenance
Community Aspects
The community you live in has a lot to do with certain people’s quality of life. Some people may enjoy a strong sense of community and neighborly love, while others tend to shy away into their homes and prefer a more quiet setting.
It’s important to note your favorite aspects of the community your living in now, or what it is missing. Try to fill in those gaps with your new community. There is nothing worse than moving into a new home to find that it doesn’t line up with your community values and needs.
Important aspects to talk about are things like walking trails, community activities, and your commutes to and from work or other amenities like grocery stores. Some people don’t drive and depend on transit. Is your neighborhood located near public transit terminals? These are just a few of the questions you should be asking yourself when looking for a new home.
Community aspects to note:
- Walking trails
- Lakes
- Community activities
- Neighborhood involvement
- Commuting
Conclusion
Creating a wishlist for your home is entirely up to you! You decide what you want, so it is important you go over the many factors that make up a home and decide what works best for you and your family. We hope you can use this guide to help make those decisions, as buying a home can be a very tedious and time-consuming process.
If you’re looking to buy a home in Airdrie, why not let us look for you? Just tell us your criteria and we’ll build out a customized portal with all the properties that match.
